More than 100 children aged 12 or younger were referred to Britain’s Forced Marriage Unit between 2021 and 2025, according to newly released Home Office figures, including 27 children aged five or younger.
The figures have prompted renewed concerns about forced marriage and the consequences of Britain’s multicultural policies. A referral does not necessarily establish that a marriage occurred, but indicates an actual, suspected, or potential forced-marriage case.
Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, who escaped a forced marriage herself at 14, described the figures involving very young children as “deeply disturbing.” She warned that some children may disappear from classrooms after being taken abroad during school holidays, while others could return engaged or married.
Sanghera also warned that the official numbers likely underestimate the problem because many cases never reach police, social services, or other authorities. Some children, she said, can effectively be promised in marriage from birth.
Government figures also show significant links to several countries. In 2025, 41% of Forced Marriage Unit cases were connected to Pakistan, compared with 9% to Bangladesh and 7% to Afghanistan.
The Centre for Migration Control argued that the figures demonstrate a connection between forced marriage, mass migration, and multiculturalism.
Forced marriage is illegal throughout the United Kingdom. England and Wales raised the minimum legal marriage age from 16 to 18 in 2023, while Scotland continues to permit marriage from age 16.
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